Last Sunday, Ritchie Hill made its first appearance at the Carolina Bridal Fair. Liz and I have both attended the fair as brides, but were especially exciting to attend as a new vendor. The tables have turned! Here’s a quick recap from the show:
First, we’d like to say a big congratulations to the winners of our drawing: Jamie and Antwaine, who will be saying their vows up on Ritchie Hill this August! The lucky couple won a free two-hour event complimenting their other wedding festivities. Jamie and Antwaine, we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
In addition, we’d like to say a special thanks to to Chelish Moore flowers for providing linens, flowers, props and furniture for our booth; as well as Karen Goforth of Irresistible Portraits for providing furniture. The biggest challenge of exhibiting this year was showing a home that’s undergoing renovation. Even though we’re nearing completion, we weren’t quite ready to make the big reveal. Instead, we wanted to give couples a feeling for the style and atmosphere of the home. These wonderful vendors helped us assemble a booth that perfectly portrayed our vision of Ritchie Hill!
We chose old, white furniture paired with a modern rug and pillows and touches of flowers in antique tea pitchers to show our formula of mixing old with new. Ritchie Hill may be an antique home, but the clean, modern interior mixed with the original architecture, fireplaces, and doors is what makes it such a special, fresh, and beautiful place.
Ritchie Hill also has a long family history that we wanted to share. To do that, we filled the panes of an antique window with all of the original wallpaper. The colors and textures made for an interesting display and great conversation. We also had a few Ritchie family pictures on display – like one of Margaret Ritchie enjoying her wrap around porch years ago. I think it’s neat to make the connection between upcoming events, and the history of the home.
In closing, the show was a huge success. We’ve had a great time this past week giving couples a tour of the property, and our fall dates are disappearing fast - with Spring 2016 not far behind. I hope you were able to stop by our booth and get a Ritchie Hill koozie and some delicious cheese straws (courtesy of Ritchie Hill Bakery)!
If you’re like me, you probably came home, picked out the goodies from the cute bag they gave you and ignored the massive pile of business cards you received at the show. Overwhelmed, to say the least! Not to worry, over the next couple weeks, we’ll be sending along some tips and tricks for finding the right vendors, and planning the perfect day. Stay tuned for our next bit of news from up on Ritchie Hill.
Happy Planning!
Jessica